Our Data — How CreditDoc Works

When We Show It

CreditDoc shows a star rating only when the database has both a valid stored Google rating and a stored Google review count.

What Each Metric Means

Response Rate

The percentage of consumer complaints that received ANY response from the company. A 100% response rate means the company replied to every complaint — but it does NOT mean every consumer was helped or satisfied. A company can respond "we disagree" to every complaint and still show 100%.

On-Time Response

The percentage of responses delivered within the CFPB's 15-business-day deadline. Companies that consistently miss this deadline may face CFPB enforcement action.

Resolved with Relief

The percentage of complaints where the consumer received actual monetary relief (refund, credit, fee waiver) or non-monetary relief (account correction, policy change). This is the strongest indicator of consumer-friendly resolution.

Complaints (12 months)

Total complaints filed against this company in the last 12 months. Important context: a high number does NOT necessarily mean a bad company. Bank of America has 100,000+ complaints because they serve 67 million customers. What matters is the rate relative to company size and the resolution quality.

Complaint Trend

"Stable" means complaint volume is roughly the same as the prior 12-month period. "Rising" means complaints are increasing. "Declining" means they're decreasing. We calculate this by comparing the most recent 12 months against the previous 12 months.

What Each Part Means

"Profile signals..."

Common consumer or business contexts associated with the company, based on services, pricing tier, and specialization. Derived from category analysis and service offerings.

"Strength..."

A visible profile factor or notable differentiator based on the data available for that company.

"Watch out for..."

A lower-information area, cost factor, or complaint-data theme to verify before contacting the provider.

Starting Price

The lowest listed monthly cost for the company's base service tier. "Free/mo" means the company does not list a recurring monthly subscription fee in the reviewed source — common for BNPL lenders, free credit monitoring services, and some non-profit counselors. It does NOT mean the service has zero cost (lenders charge interest, some services charge per-use fees).

Setup Fee

A one-time enrollment or activation cost charged when you first sign up. "None" means no listed setup fee was identified in the reviewed source.

Refund Terms

"Yes" means the company states a written refund policy, typically a specific number of days during which cancellation may qualify for a refund. "No" means no formal refund term was identified in the reviewed source.

How they're selected: Same service category plus relevant geography where available. If you're looking at a credit repair company in Georgia, similar companies are other credit repair providers that may serve the same area or category.

Important: Ratings shown on similar company cards are those companies' own stored Google ratings when available. They are not the rating of the company you're currently viewing.

Why this matters: Comparison shopping is important for financial services. Seeing alternatives side-by-side helps you evaluate whether a company matches your research criteria and whether other providers should be compared.

Usury Caps

The maximum interest rate a lender can charge in your state. Some states cap at 36% APR, others have no cap. Knowing your state's limit tells you whether a rate offer is within legal bounds.

Payday Loan Status

"Banned" means your state prohibits payday lending entirely. "Allowed" means it's legal with regulations. "Restricted" means it's legal but with strict limits on amounts, rollovers, or fees.

Credit Repair Regulations

Many states prohibit credit repair companies from charging upfront fees before work is performed. Some require surety bonds or specific cancellation periods. We display these rules so you know what a company is legally required to offer you.

FDIC Branch Count

The number of federally insured branch locations in your area. Higher counts mean more physical access points and stronger regulatory oversight (FDIC-insured institutions are subject to regular examinations).

What you'll find: Local providers that serve your city, state-specific regulation context, HMDA lending data for your area, and localized answers to common credit and lending questions.

Category sub-pages: Each city has dedicated pages for specific needs — credit repair, personal loans, emergency cash, debt relief, and more. These show only providers that serve your city and state, filtered by the service you actually need.

How providers are listed: Companies physically located in your city appear first, followed by statewide providers that serve your area. This ensures you see the most local options before seeing larger regional companies.

Why local matters: State laws affect fees, protections, and recourse. A provider may operate differently across states, so city guides connect provider research with local and state context.

How companies get listed: We track every identifiable financial services provider in our covered categories. Companies are NOT listed because they pay us — and they cannot pay to be removed. If a company provides financial services to consumers, it belongs in our directory.

What's on every profile: Stored Google rating fields where available, CFPB transparency data, editorial profile notes, pricing, location and map, similar companies, and frequently asked questions.

How we check information: Company details are cross-referenced against state licensing databases (NMLS), Secretary of State business filings, FDIC BankFind, and company websites.

Editorial independence: No company can pay for a higher stored Google rating, removal of relevant negative public-data context, or removal of relevant public regulatory records. If CFPB data or regulatory records are relevant to the profile, we display that context.

Update frequency: Data refreshes daily (CFPB sync). Full editorial review on a quarterly cycle. The "Updated" badge on each profile shows the most recent refresh date.

Data sources: Company-reported addresses, state licensing records (NMLS), and FDIC BankFind for insured institutions.

What the map shows: The company's headquarters or nearest branch. For multi-location companies, we show each branch as a separate profile because they may serve different areas, have different hours, or be regulated by different state offices.

"Serving" vs "Located in": Some companies serve your area remotely without a physical local office. They appear in your city's results when our data indicates state-level availability. Companies with a physical location in your city are listed first.

Limitations: Map pins are approximate and based on the address on file. Always verify hours, exact location, and appointment requirements directly with the company before visiting.